Journal

Articles & Field Notes

Published stories, reflections, and research from across the community.

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Community
Community·30 March 2026

Celebrity Gambling Influence: How Gambling Is Normalised for Youth

Explore how celebrity influence is shaping young people’s attitudes to gambling, and learn how families and communities can respond with support.

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·21 January 2026

Digital Addiction in Young Australians: Signs, Support & Recovery

Explore Digital Addiction in young Australians – signs, stats and smart recovery tools to help reclaim balance in screen-driven lives.

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·15 December 2025

Want to be part of SMART Recovery? Join our Audit and Risk Committee

SMART Recovery Australia (SRAU) is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee and a registered charity with the Australian Charities and not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). SMART Recovery Australia provides evidence-based tools to support individuals and their families and f...

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·14 September 2022

Podcast: Joined By SMART Facilitator Joseph Abdo | SMART Recovery

Podcast SMART Recovery Group Facilitator chats with 3CR Joseph Abdo is an NSW-based clinical social worker who specialises in helping people, using

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·6 July 2022

Introducing SMART Training in French | SMART Recovery Australia

SMART Recovery International Introducing Online Training in French SMART Recovery Partner Affiliate Le CAP is proud to announce the launch of its new

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·28 June 2022

Webinar: Trauma and Substance Use | SMART Recovery Australia

SMART Recovery Australia Webinar: Trauma and Substance Use In this webinar, Sally explores polyvagal theory and how trauma impacts the nervous system. She

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·26 May 2022

Support. Don

Support. Don

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·8 February 2022

Looking for family members, carers and supporters | SMART Recovery Australia

Support for Family & Friends Looking for family members, carers and supporters Alison Beck SMART Recovery Australia SMART Recovery Australia is

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·21 September 2021

SMART Recovery | Motivation: Guiding Clients to Make Beneficial Changes

Webinar Motivational Interviewing: Guiding clients to make beneficial changes Dr Robert Fullerton Clinical Psychologist This webinar was published by the

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·19 September 2021

Mark and SMART | SMART Recovery Australia

#RecoveryStories Mark and SMART Mark Former SMART Recovery Participant I can

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·3 September 2021

Women

Women

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·17 August 2021

Thinking about your smoking? | SMART Recovery Australia

Research Thinking about your smoking? Professor Amanda Baker Clinical Psychologist and proud member of the SMART Recovery Global and Australian Research

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·24 February 2021

'Whilst my relationship with alcohol is much better, it is still something I work on' | SMART Recovery Australia

#RecoveryStories

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·18 January 2021

SMART Recovery App Feasibility Study | VIDEO | SMART Recovery Australia

WEBINAR WATCH: Feasibility study of SMART Track App Presented Dr Alison Beck Information on Routine Outcome Monitoring (ROM) plus feedback in SMART

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·24 September 2020

Feature: Newtown Neighbourhood Centre Youth Group | SMART Recovery Australia

The following is reposted with permission from Newtown Neighbourhood Centre’s mailing list.   I love a quiet achiever. If we were to hand out awards

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·4 August 2020

Partner Profile: Star Health | SMART Recovery Australia

Partner profile Star Health Silvia Violante Alcohol and Other Drugs Counselling Coordinator - Star Health What does Star Health do? Star Health provides a

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·17 July 2020

We warmly welcome Tim Wade to SMART Recovery Australia | SMART Recovery Australia

We are very excited to welcome two new staff to SMART Recovery Australia. The first interview is with Tim Wade, our new SMART Project Officer. Welcome to

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·28 April 2020

SMART RECOVERY AUSTRALIA RECEIVES COVID FUNDING FOR ONLINE ADDICTION SUPPORT | SMART Recovery Australia

Australia

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·21 January 2020

Executive Director

SMART Recovery Australia is Australia’s leading secular addiction recovery program. We do not require that anybody submit to a higher power or any form of

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·1 January 2020

ABOUT | Confit Pathways

Empowering youth at-risk through fitness and mentorship from mentors with lived experience of incarceration.

Confit Pathways
Community
Community·1 January 2020

SUPPORT US | Confit Pathways

Empowering youth at-risk through fitness and mentorship from mentors with lived experience of incarceration.

Confit Pathways
Community
Community·1 January 2020

OUR IMPACT | Confit Pathways

Empowering youth at-risk through fitness and mentorship from mentors with lived experience of incarceration. See our impact!

Confit Pathways
Community
Community·1 January 2020

CON|X | Confit Pathways

Empowering youth at-risk through fitness and mentorship from mentors with lived experience of incarceration. See our impact!

Confit Pathways
Community
Community·12 September 2019

SMART Recovery Australia Submission to the The Special Commission of Inquiry into the Drug ‘Ice’ | SMART Recovery Australia

SRAU wholeheartedly supports the objectives of the Special Commission of Inquiry into the Drug ‘Ice’, a sorely needed review of the prevalence, trends and

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·22 August 2019

Q&A – SMART Recovery Australia Ambassador Mary K Pershall | SMART Recovery Australia

Q: In interviews, you discuss how Anna slipped through the cracks. What changes need to be made to our care systems in order to better help people like

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·20 June 2019

The Story Behind "Alcohol Fuelled Violence" | SMART Recovery Australia

A drunken assault. A man left bleeding in the street. Another man, ten schooners and five bourbons deep, walking away, with an empty grin spreading across

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·4 June 2019

Online Solutions for Addictive Behaviour | SMART Recovery Australia

Odds are you’re reading this on your mobile phone. We don’t know that for sure - you might be reading this on a desktop or laptop computer, or a tablet -

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·16 May 2019

The truth about "hangxiety" | SMART Recovery Australia

“I need a drink to relax”. You’ve heard it before - you’ve probably heard it this week! Many people report that a drink at the end of a hard week, or day,

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·4 March 2019

Trauma, Addiction and the Fall of Cardinal Pell | SMART Recovery Australia

Last week, the suppression order on Australian media regarding the conviction (currently under appeal) of Cardinal George Pell - once the third-highest

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·17 January 2019

What is the Impact of Alcohol Advertising in Sports? | SMART Recovery Australia

Sporting life is a vital part of Australian culture. Of course, in such a diverse country, there are those who prefer not to participate in or watch

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·5 September 2018

Guest blog: Adopting a Trauma Informed Approach to Recovery | SMART Recovery Australia

Guest blogger Marc Elrington has penned the below piece on trauma-informed care in relation to SMART Recovery. You

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·24 August 2018

Does Drinking Really Help You Relax? | SMART Recovery Australia

It’s been a long day. In fact, it’s been a long week. Maybe you were overworked and your boss was too demanding, or your kids have been acting up and

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·27 July 2018

Irrational Beliefs, Anger, and Getting to Know Yourself | SMART Recovery Australia

Have you ever been angry with yourself? A frequent experience for those in recovery when unravelling their beliefs and behaviours is to think "I shouldn

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·4 July 2018

Webinar: The Research Evidence for SMART Recovery | SMART Recovery Australia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S8ejuSyz1I&feature=youtu.be   Every so often, SMART Recovery Australia runs a webinar aimed at our facilitators

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·26 June 2018

SMART Recovery Australia

SMART Recovery Australia is committed to the philosophy and practice of harm minimisation. For us, harm minimisation means prioritising and advancing the

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·23 May 2018

The Green, the Mean, and the Mighty Unclean: Debating Marijuana Legalisation | SMART Recovery Australia

Richard di Natale, leader of the Australian Greens and underpayer of staff, recently announced the Australian Greens’ plan for cannabis legalisation – or

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·17 May 2018

AOD Webinar: PTSD and substance use | SMART Recovery Australia

Many people suffering from issues related to addictive behaviour have co-occurring Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. In fact, many people battling PTSD

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·9 May 2018

News: Parent and Family Drug Support Be SMART Group Cleaning Up at Awards Ceremony | SMART Recovery Australia

SMART Recovery Australia wishes to express our sincere congratulations to Leanne and the WA mental health team for winning the Families – Excellence in

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·19 April 2018

Is There an Ideal Time to Make a Change? | SMART Recovery Australia

There’s no such thing as an ideal time to quit, or an ideal time to create change in your life. Change can be chaotic and traumatising, and the safety of

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·6 March 2018

Meet Jenny Valentish: Board member, author, journalist and woman of substance | SMART Recovery Australia

In this interview, one of our newest members of the SMART Recovery Australia Board discusses gender-sensitive care, her own story, and the #MeNoMore

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·8 November 2017

The Importance of Youth Groups to Addiction Prevention | SMART Recovery Australia

If you

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·9 September 2017

Meet Peter, our facilitator from Kogarah | SMART Recovery Australia

For this week

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·6 September 2017

What China

Recently, the tragic case of the young British man who died of a blood clot deep in the midst of a mammoth twelve-hour gaming session hit the news. The

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·4 September 2017

Johann Hari: Everything You Think You Know About Addiction is Wrong | SMART Recovery Australia

Have you seen Johann Hari

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·14 July 2017

National Coordinator Profile: Angela Argent | SMART Recovery Australia

Angela Argent works at SMART Recovery HQ as National Coordinator. Part of her role involves training community members to become SMART Facilitators. She

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·22 May 2017

New mental health program teaches students how to stress less

Snow Foundation
Community
Community·23 November 2016

SMART Recovery acknowledged in US Surgeon General

An extensive report on addiction in America has just been released by the United States Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy. The first-ever Surgeon

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·5 August 2016

OPINION: Is addiction really a disease? | SMART Recovery Australia

What is addiction? For the majority who have strong opinions on the matter, addiction is a disease. In fact it’s “a chronic relapsing brain disease”

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·27 June 2016

Facilitator profile: Rachel McLaughlin | SMART Recovery Australia

Rachel McLaughlin is one of our star SMART Recovery facilitators based in Victoria. She has years of great experience running SMART meetings in inner-city

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·23 June 2016

Launceston launches SMART Recovery for youths | MEDIA | SMART Recovery Australia

THE City Mission has established a Launceston support group for 12 to 25-year-olds living with addiction. City Mission youth and outreach supervisor Tyson

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·1 June 2016

'Ice' scourge: Calls for Durack $20m drug fight to have wider focus than rehabilitation | SMART Recovery Australia

The effectiveness of an overhaul of funding to target drug use in regional WA has been questioned, as the exact details of the package are yet to be

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·23 March 2016

Mutual aid, CBT effective for ice addiction | ABC Radio National | SMART Recovery Australia

  Earlier this month, ABC Radio National program All in the Mind featured an episode ‘Breaking the ice’, where host Lynne Malcolm looked at how the

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·15 March 2016

Exercise helps adults with high-anxiety sensitivity quit smoking | Research | SMART Recovery Australia

Exercise helps smokers with a high risk for cessation failure due to emotional distress finally kick the habit, according to psychologists at The

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·15 March 2016

What smartphone addiction looks like when you

“You and that phone,” my friend said. Her frustration was palpable, and I didn’t blame her. We were supposed to be getting coffee, but all I could do was

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·22 February 2016

Why a new definition of addiction, as a

In 1956, the American Medical Association declared alcoholism a “disease.” More than half a century later, the American Society of Addiction Medicine

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·2 February 2016

Using creativity to beat addiction | SMART Recovery Australia

Often the simple solutions are the most effective. In the case of Brian Harriman (pictured left) who suffers from depression and alcohol addiction, that

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·12 October 2015

SMART Recovery: An alternative mutual aid support group for addiction | SMART Recovery Australia

The consequences of alcohol, substance use and other addictive behaviours are far reaching. The yearly cost to Australians from harms associated with

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·7 September 2015

Premier Baird, SMART to join Sydney Recovery Walk 2015 | SMART Recovery Australia

SMART Recovery Australia invites participants, facilitators, friends & family of anyone touched by addiction to join us at the Sydney Recovery Walk

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·3 September 2015

SMART partners with Turning Point - Alcohol and Drug Centre | SMART Recovery Australia

Recently SMART Recovery Australia and Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre, joined forces to promote and maximise the health and wellbeing of individuals

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·3 September 2015

Alcohol linked to cancer in war against binge drinking | SMART Recovery Australia

An article that appeared on the1 6 November 2010, Sydney Morning Herald, Wellbeing blog click here to read

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·3 September 2015

NEW SMARTWALK Group | SMART Recovery Australia

Beginning Wed 15th September @ 11- 12.30 for clients who need motivating, especially those with depression and AOD issues.  It will be an Open Group,

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·3 September 2015

SMART Recovery Australia representation at conferences | SMART Recovery Australia

The SMART Recovery Australia team has participated in and attended several key drug and alcohol forums and conferences across Australia over recent

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·3 September 2015

SMART Recovery Australia update – New faces, clear direction | SMART Recovery Australia

Since commencing in the role of Executive Director of SMART Recovery Australia in late 2013, it is clear to me that SMART Recovery has significant respect

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·3 September 2015

A Testemonial, November 2008, Ty | SMART Recovery Australia

A little over two years ago I came to SMART Recovery Australia a broken and shamed man.  My life had spiralled out of control on both drug and alcohol

SMART Recovery Australia
Community
Community·3 September 2015

SMART Recovery in the Sydney Morning Herald | SMART Recovery Australia

SMART help for overeating - and over-drinking Where do you go for help if overeating has become a habit that

SMART Recovery Australia